Stricter burn bans issued in Puget Sound region

SEATTLE - With a stagnant weather pattern and air pollution rising, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued a series of burn bans.

A Stage 1 burn ban was issued Sunday for King and Snohomish counties, and that will be upgraded to a stricter Stage 2 burn ban effective 2 p.m. Monday.

A Stage 2 ban was issued Saturday in Pierce County and remains in effect. No burn ban has been issued for Kitsap County as of mid-day on Monday.

The agency says fine particle pollution levels spiked in many areas throughout the Puget Sound region Saturday night, then worsened on Sunday night - especially in neighborhoods where wood-burning is common.

During a Stage 1 ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. PSCAA says residents should rely instead on their home's other, cleaner source of heat such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters for a few days until air quality improves. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home's only adequate source of heat.

A Stage 2 ban means no burning is allowed in any word-burning fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves or fireplace inserts whether they've been certified or not.

No outdoor fires are allowed, including recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas. Violaters could be fined up to $1,000.

It is OK to use natural gas or propane stoves during a Stage 2 burn ban.